IDF Strikes Hospital in Khan Younis Targeting Hamas Commander

According to the IDF, the second floor of Nasser Hospital served as a heavily guarded Hamas military headquarters, inaccessible to civilians. The security establishment claims Hamas transformed the hospital into a command center, weapons depot, and observation post, using it to conduct interrogations and torture, and to hold hostages. The IDF reported that numerous hostages, including women and children from Kibbutz Nir Oz, were held there during the war, naming Nimrod Cohen, Matan Tsengauer, Idan Alexander, Avraham Mengistu, Assaf Hamami, Oz Daniel, and Omer Naotara as among those kept at the facility.

Two Air Force fighter jets dropped a small amount of precision munitions within seconds of each other to target a room where Abu Ismail and other terrorists were present. The strike also targeted Murad Tawfiq Mahmoud Abu Zarifa, a team leader in Hamas's engineering department, and Khaled Osama Abu Anza, head of communications in its intelligence directorate. The IDF stated it took precautions and issued warnings before the strike, which Hamas ignored, to minimize damage to the building and uninvolved individuals. While Makor Rishon and Ynet reported that Abu Ismail was eliminated, Kipa noted that his death remained unconfirmed, while Palestinian reports cited six fatalities from the strike.